GT Helps Local Refugee Resettlement at Spring Fundraising Event

May 11, 2022

Giving Together held our first in-person event in over two years on May 11, 2022, when we gathered in the beautiful lobby of Bethesda’s Round House Theatre for our annual spring fundraiser. With fellow members and friends, we celebrated GT, met our 2021 grantees and raised funds for local refugee resettlement. And we all had a wonderful time doing it!

The fundraiser was a big success, with an amazing $12,000 raised from generous online and in-person-event donations to GT’s Emergency Fund. The proceeds were divided evenly between two local non-profits that serve refugees fleeing war, hardship and terror: Homes not Borders and Solutions in Hometown Connections. Since last summer, both organizations have focused on resettling refugees from Afghanistan. Soon they expect to turn their attention to Ukrainian resettlement.

Homes not Borders supports refugee families by providing home furnishings and household goods, employment assistance, and help accessing services from public agencies and other non-profits (www.homesnotborders.org ). Solutions in Hometown Connections provides a network of mentors, tutors and community-group partners. With a focus on refugee women, they teach English-language skills, conduct programs in early childhood and youth education, and help with job skills and placement ( www.shconnections.org ). Both organizations welcome volunteers!

Other evening highlights included the introduction of representatives from GT’s 2021 grant-winning non-profits: My Sister’s Place, Mercy Health Center, ScholarCHIPS, The Safe Sisters Circle and Young Doctors DC. Also, we announced that GT’s Emergency Fund would donate $10,000 from last year’s fundraising (2021) to Neighbors in Need Montgomery, a program of the Greater Washington Community Foundation. Neighbors in Need funds frontline non-profits that help clients with crisis situations, such as the threat of eviction or the inability to cover the cost of an expensive prescription.

A check was presented to Anna Hargrave — the Community Foundation’s Director for Montgomery County — who provided an update on recent initiatives. She said major donors to Neighbors in Need will match GT’s $10,000 contribution 100% — doubling our impact!

In recognition of the refugees arriving in our community, the spring event featured the delicious food of Afghanistan and Ukraine. The dishes included Varenyki (the Ukrainian version of pierogi); Afghan pumpkin dumplings (Borani Kadoo ) and leak/scallion dumplings (Aushak), along with tasty sauces; skewerless chicken kebabs; Ukrainian babka (both chocolate and cinnamon) and traditional Ukrainian cookies. All were selected and gathered by a team of dedicated GT members.

The setting for the event was also a treat: Round House Theatre. The RHT management and staff could not have been more generous and helpful to Giving Together. They have our deep appreciation for all their efforts to ensure a memorable evening for us.